Wednesday, December 5, 2012

With the Christmas holiday getting closer and closer, it’s time to start thinking about gifts for your friends and family. Gift cards, cash and movies are always a safe option, but why not try something more creative? Something that you and your kids can make in an afternoon. Even if you don’t feel “crafty,” these easy DIY projects will make you look like an expert!

One great gift is a homemade wreath for the holidays. To start, pull up a quick instructable via Country Living (photo above) or another home decorating site. These sites will take you through a step-by-step process, and help you gauge how much/what to buy to make the perfect wreath. A site like FloristExpress.com has some beautiful flowers for the Christmas holiday such as poinsettias, lilies, amaryllis and many others. These festive flowers will brighten up the holly, berries and pine cones on your wreath.

If cooking and baking is more your scene, try making some homemade holiday granola with your kids. First, buy some basic granola ingredients like oats, nuts, sugar and berries. You can find a great recipe online or in your holiday cookbook and try different flavors like pumpkin spice, cinnamon, brown sugar or ginger.

To give these as a gift, wrap it in a glass jar and add a beautiful red or green ribbon for the holiday season. Another in-the-kitchen gift idea is homemade coffee and teas with Christmas cookies. To make a holiday blend, try combining your favorite teas or coffees with spices and flavoring that add a whole new twist to your morning drink. Secure it in a nice jar and place your homemade cookies in a Christmas tin to create a gift perfect for the holiday.

Another great idea is to try something more artsy such as homemade photo frames or Christmas tree ornaments. Craft stores such as Hobby Lobby or Michael’s sell very basic wooden frames that can easily be painted, stickered, and modge-podged, among other things, to create an original and personalized picture frame. They also sell basic styrofoam and plastic shapes that you can use to make your very own Christmas ornaments. Add glitter, paint, jewels, ribbons and anything else you can think of to personalize your ornaments.

Take a break from your usual Christmas routine and explore your DIY options for great holiday gifts. From baking to crafting to sewing to building, your friends and family will be so appreciate the time spent on your thoughtful gift.